Theewaterskloof Dam on the Sonderend River near Villiersdorp close to Cape Town was at 13.7% on May 29, 2017, but only 3,7% of that water is useable. The Western Cape was declared a disaster area on May 22, due to drought in the province.

Only half of drought-stricken Cape Town is saving water, the City of Cape Town revealed on Monday as it appealed to residents to get on board and beat the drought.

To make matters worse, recent hot and windy weather has led to a 1% decrease in dam levels over the past week alone.

City of Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille said: "This summer, with the heat and wind, we can expect a steady decline going forward, so continued savings are a must."

She pointed out that only 51% of Capetonians "have put tremendous efforts into saving water", while she has appealed to the remaining 49% to help the City beat this drought.

"Your help is vital and we need you to come on board with Team Cape Town," she said.

City of Cape Town storage dam levels are currently at 36.8%, with only 26.8% of usable water remaining.

Residents' collective water usage decreased by 20 million litres, to 582 million litres per day. However, the figure is still 82 million litres above the target of 500 million litres per day.

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